30 Luger & 9mm chambered P89

[Bret]

I picked up a new in the box P89 that I bought off GunJoker. It was $400 with delivery and transfer. There are different barrels, guide rods and recoil springs for both cartridges. Here are the obligatory pictures:

The pistol was made about twenty years ago. I already have 30Luger ammo, so I'll post a report when I shoot it.

It came with two 10rd magazines.

I'm going to sell them because I don't live in a state that has a 10rd limit. However, I'm not sure if they're actually Ruger magazines or not. I've never seen a Ruger magazine that's indented on the sides like these. There is no Ruger logo on the bottom, but I know not all Ruger magazines have the logo. Any idea if Ruger or someone else made them? They're unfired and appear well made.

 

[wildturk]

KP89X. I have two of them, the mag's with the line across them don't look like factory Ruger mags, but I'll have to look to be sure. Not a bad price.

 

[roylt]

Those are crap mags not Ruger. I think promag brand. Someone traded the 15 rd mags out of the box or something. Pretty sure a P89 of that age would have 15 rounders with it.

Nice looking other than that.

 

[Bret]

Pretty sure a P89 of that age would have 15 rounders with it.

There was a note with the Ruger manual stating that the pistol was shipped with two magazines, 10rd or 15rd depending on availability. I personally refuse to use them just based on the principal of the matter, but perhaps someone caught behind the lines in a ban state can use them. I just don't want to misrepresent what they are.

 

[roylt]

I don't like that type of mag because it has those extra little holes on the front side where the mag lock is. Those holes just make it feel weird when installing in the pistol. I'm pretty sure they are promag. I sold one before I ever loaded a round into it. I just couldn't get past the extra little holes.

 

[blume357]

Personally, I'd probably keep them.
I like 10 rounders for target practice myself and they look brand new and never used. I did sell a few off brand magazines last month here and some of those were 10 rounders.... but that was because I had scored 7 factory stainless steel 15 rounders.... then I actually bought 3 10 rounders from someone else here a week or so later.

 

[Bret]

I just can't keep them. Every time that I look at a limited capacity magazine I get mad thinking about those who are attempting to further erode our 2nd Amendment rights.

 

[DonD]

Thanks for posting this. I never knew Ruger ever made a gun in .30 Luger. From the pictures, the gun looks like it has been a safe queen all its life, looks like a very nice find to me. Don

 

[Bret]

I bought this 9x21 chambered P89DC from the same owner. He didn't fire either of them.

Note that the sides of the slide on the 9x21 P89DC are shiny while the sides of the 30Luger/9mm P89 are matte.

 

[PAVTXER]

I bought this 9x21 chambered P89DC from the same owner. He didn't fire either of them.

Note that the sides of the slide on the 9x21 P89DC are shiny while the sides of the 30Luger/9mm P89 are matte.

See Roy... there are others that have NIB stuff that don't shoot em all. ;-)

 

[roylt]

Lots of guy have NIB stuff. I just can't afford it. I buy broke and abused and make the best of it.

I do have a NIB single six. Factory High Gloss unit. I may shoot it some day. I figure I'll never sell it anyway so new or fired it is still mine. and then my kids.

Sorry for the high jack.

 

[modrifle3]

Nice find....

 

[mrmike7189]

that looks like a mint condition gun at a great price.....the mags are NOT ruger....they are aftermarket mags someone switched out.....but 10 rounds are good for practice or sell them on the classifieds here and someone will need them.

 

[98PK]

Can a guy still get .30 or 9x21 barrells? I almost bought a .30 barrel at a gun show one time, but there was no recoil spring/guide rod with it. I don't know that there is really anything that I can do with .30 or 9x21 that I can't do with 9mm Parabellum, but it would be neat to mess around with. Lots of more expensive and more sophisticated pistols out there, I guess, but the P89 is the only one I have ever had that fires thousands of rounds without a single stoppage of any sort.

 

[Bret]

98PK, I think your best bet would be to call Ruger directly.

I fired my 30Luger chambered P89 for the first time today. I shot 100rds of Fiocchi 93gr FMJ. The pistol was 100% reliable. The spent cases ejected rather weakly straight to the right, but they all cleared, so that's OK. Recoil was lighter than regular 9mm. Accuracy was pretty poor, but mostly because of the trigger. The trigger reset was actually nice and positive. However, predicting exactly when the hammer was going to drop was near impossible. The trigger didn't get heavier as I pulled it, but rather it got heavier at first and then began to get much lighter through the pull.

Overall an interesting cartridge for this pistol, but no tack driver due to the trigger. I'll try the 9mm barrel in it and see how it performs.